Method of lubricating engine governors



Aug. 16, 1932.

H. D. CHURCH METHOD OF LUBRICATING ENGINE GOVERNORS Filed June 22, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HARM-D D. 'SI-HJRcl-L v A NEY 'Aug., -16, 1932. H. D. CHURCH A METHOD OF LUBRICATING ENGINE GOVERNORS Filed June 22, 1929 a Sheets-Sheet 2- 7 .5V V v .0 V MW/B m WNW) #4. Z s

HAEQLD Iii-CHURCH;

BY I

' Aug. 16, 1932. H. D. CHURCH METHOD OF LUBRICATING ENGINE GOVERNORS Filed June 22, 1929' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 o a i 35 5 [I I m g 27 E 25 l l g A 1 l 24 52 a 37 55 30 l a I 5 3 k A 3 2 3 28 I c U Q BY X:

, ORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD D. CHURCH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITE MOTOR COM- PANY, CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD OF LUBRIOATING EVGINE GOVERNORS Application filed June 22,

A governor mechanism is a means commonly availed of today to control the operation of the automotive plant of a motor vehicle. The usual practice is to associate a governor with the butterfly valve of a carburetor to automatically operate the latter in controlling the speed of the internal combustion engine constituting the power plant.

This invention involves primarily the provision of a force feed lubricating system for the governor aforesaid. In embodying this thought in a practical construction an oil feed line is taken off from the main. lubricating gallery where the lubricant is maintained under pressure. This arrangement insures the delivery of the lubricant under suf7 ficient pressure to properly circulate through the governor.

To the end of supplying the oil to the .2 governor in a series of intermittent jets the oil feed line to the governor is interrupted by'the cam shaft which is provided with a transverse opening which intermittently becomes aligned with the feed line. Inthis con- 5 struction the cam shaft functions as a valve member that is constantly rotating to render effective the valve opening at periodic intervals. Between these times the supply is shut off as the cam shaft then obstructs the feed line.v

A further object of the invention is to provide a lubricating system for a governor in which the circulation is aided by gravity action. This idea is carried out by feeding the oil to the top of the casing that houses the governor. The oil then passes down over and through the various mechanisms and parts to afford the desired lubricating effects.

An important feature of the invention resides in the method of lubricating the governor which is outlined in the preceding paragraphs. This method lies in the supplying of oil to the governor under pressure in a series of-intermittent jets, and varying the intervals between the ets in accordance with the speed of operation of the governor.

These and other more detailed objects and advantages will in part become apparent and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds. For a full and ernor that has 1929. Serial No. 372,824.

more complete understandingthereof, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l, is a'view in side elevation'of an.

illihis tiiew is taken about. on the line 44 of 1g. v p Referring now to the drawingsgiandj particularly- Fig.4, an internal combustion engine of conventional construction isdesignated A. This engine includes a carburetor 1 that supplies fuel to the cylinders of the engine A. Thespeed of operation of the' latter is of course, dependent on the amount of fuel furnished by the carburetor 1. The.

carburetor 1 has a control valve which may be of the-butterfly type as shown at 2in Fig. 2. The valve member 2 is operably mounted on a shaft 3 which is affected by the governor mechanism to vary the position of the butterfly valve 2. V

The governor mechanism is referred to generally as B, and one construction of govproved to be satisfactory is hereindescribed. It is to be remembered however; that the principles of lubrication constituting the instant invention can be employed in conjunction with almost any type or form of governor..v i p 7 Attention is now directed to Fig. 2 which shows a casing comprising the mating portions 4 and 5-which serve as ahousing for the.

governor mechanism and also as'a container for thelubrlcatlng bath in whlch the mecha in the casing and at. one end supports a can.

.nism is designed tooperate. A shaft 6 is i rier member 10. Bell crank levershaving weighted arms 11 and shorter arms 12 are pivotally mounted on the carrier member as shown at 13.

The arms 12 engage one end of a shaft 14 that is slidably mounted, and are maintained in engagement with the arms 12 by a spring 15. Means for adjusting the tension of'the spring 15 is shown in theyformof threaded sleeve 16. When the weighted arms 11 move radially outwardly due to centrifugal force, the arms 12'1nove the shaftl14 to the left (speaking with reference-to Fig. 2) against the tendency of the spring 15.

The upper end of the shaft 14 is provided with a cap member 17 and a bearing arrangement indicated at 18 is interposed between the cap'17 and the shaft 14. An arm 19 of a bell crank 20, is operatively connected to the cap member,-and is affected by movement of the shaft 14 to turn the bell crank 20 about its pivotal mounting 21. The other end 22 of the bell crankis fastened to one end of a link i 23 to cause reciprocating movements of the latter incident to motion of the bell crank.

The link 23 is connected to'a rod 24 which is housed by a tubular casing 25. At the upper end thereof, the rod 24'is operatively connected by a rack and gear device 26 with the shaft 3 which is received in the housing 27.

. It is obvious that the foregoing mechanism is operated incident v the oil gallery 28 to the cam shaft sleeve 30.

The cam shaft 29, is formed with a diametric opening 32 forming a passageway and at each end of the opening 32, thecam shaft is flattened as indicated at33. The crankcase C is formed with another. passageway 34 leading to the exterior surface thereof where it communicates with-afitting 35. Acoupling member 36 is threaded into the fitting 35 and recelves one end of an oil line in the form ofa copper tube 37; The latter extends to the upper end of the tubular casing'25 with which it communicates through the medium of the coupling member 38 which is threaded -into an enlarged portion of the casing as shown at 39. A passageway 40 runsthrough the enlarged portion of the casing 25 and con- [nects' the tube 37-with the interior of the casfings 25 and 27.

When the engine is running the camshaft 29 is constantly rotating and drives the governor B. At the same time the 011 pump (not shown) is driven to put the oil in the gallery 28 under pressure. When the opening 32 is aligned with the passageways 31 and 34 (which event occurs twice during each revolution of the cam shaft) oil under pressure will be forced through the tube 37 and supplied to the various casings housing the governor mechanism at the top of the former.

' "Due to gravity action and the fact that the oil is supplied under pressure it passes down through the casings, lubricating the various operating parts and bearings, and passes off through passage 41 and is returned to the crank case. This provides for a continued circulation of oil under pressure to afford the desiredlubricating efifects.

I claim:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve and an oil pump, a governor for said engine including a rotating shaft driven by said engine, an arm movable in response to changes in speed of said shaft, and a connection between said arm and said throttle valve, a casing surrounding said shaft and extending around said arm andsaid connection, an oil passage arranged to receive oil under pressure from said pump and deliver the same to the interior of said casing adjacent said said connection and flow through said casing to lubricate the entire length of said arm-and said shaft, and means for returning oil to the crankcase of said engine from a point adjacent the driven end of said shaft.

' 2. In combination with an internal co1n-.

bustion e-nginehaving a throttle valve, a

crankcase, and an oil pump, a governor for said engine comprising a shaft driven: by said engine and projecting outwardly and upwardly from said crankcase, an arm extending upwardly at an angle to said shaft and movable in response to changes in the speed of said shaft, a connection at the upper end of said arm for imparting movements thereof to said throttle valve,.a casing surrounding said shaft, said arm, and said connection, an oil passage for receiving oil under pres'sure from said pump and delivering the same to the interior of said casing adjacent the upper end thereof tolubricate all of the parts of said governor, and means for returning the oil to the crankcase. I i

' 3. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a throttlevalve, a crank case, and an oil pump, a governor for saidengine including ashaft driven by said engineand projecting upwardly through a casingsurrounding said shaft, said casing extending through and secured to said crankcase and having its lower end open and formed to provide a bearing for said shaft, means associated with said shaft and movable in response to changes in the speed thereof to control said throttle valve, and an connection, whereby said oil may lubricate oil passage for receiving oil under pressure from said pump and delivering the same to the interior of said casing to lubricate said governor and return same to said crankcase through the bearing. between said shaft and said casing.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a r throttle valve, a crankcase, and an oil pump, a governor for said engine including a shaft driven by said engine and projecting upwardly through said crankcase, an arm extending upwardly at an angle to said shaft and movable in re sponse to changes in the speed of said shaft, a connection at the upper end of said arm for controlling said throttle valve, a casing surrounding said shaft, said arm, and said connection extending into said crankcase and having its lower end open and formed to provide a bearing for said shaft, and an oil passage for receiving oil under pressure from said pump and delivering the same to the interior of said casing at the upper end thereof, whereby said oil lubricates said connection and flows through said casing to lubricate the entire length of said arm and shaft and passes through the bearing between said shaft and casing and through the open end of said casing into said crankcase.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve, a crank case, and an oil pump, a governor for said engine including a shaft driven by said engine and projecting through the crank case, an arm extending from said shaft to a point adjacent said throttle valve, spring means for normally retaining said arm in one position and centrifugal means mounted on said shaft and co-operating with said arm to move the same against the tension of said spring means in accordance with the speed of said shaft, a connection at the other end of said arm for controlling said throttle valve, a casing surrounding said shaft,said arm and said connection rigidly mounted with respect to said crankcase, said casing including journal portions serving as bearings and supports for said shaft and having 1 bearing portions supporting said arm, said casing serving to completely enclose said shaft, said arm and said connection and forming a continuous passage thereabout,

an oil passage for receiving oil under pressure from said pump and delivering the same to the interior of said casing adjacent said connection and a passage for returning oil from said easing into said crank case whereby oil from said pump may flow through said casing and lubricate the entire length of said arm and said shaft and said connection.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix signature this 18th day of June, 1929.

HAROLD D. CHURCH. 

